Pennsylvania Lawmakers Introduce New Medical Marijuana Bill

A group of Pennsylvania lawmakers has introduced a second bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state.

Reps. Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin), Mike Regan (R-York/Cumberland) and Sheryl Delozier (R-Cumberland) said their proposal, House Bill 1432, would allow the use of medical cannabis in a controlled fashion.

The measure is a compromise to Senate Bill 3, a proposal that passed the Senate in May but has not yet reached the House floor.

“We know that not everyone will be pleased with this approach,” Marisco said in a statement. “It will be too narrow for some and too expansive for others, but we feel that this measure allows us to build a real consensus in the legislature and start a medical cannabis program in Pennsylvania.”

Medical cannabis would be administered through vaporization or in oil or pill form, but smoking and edibles would be banned.

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs would oversee up to five medical marijuana organizations permitted to grow, process and distribute medical marijuana. Each organization could operate up to four dispensaries.

Organizations would be required to test medical cannabis, secure their facilities, and track their product from seed to sale.

The department would issue identification cards to patients and caregivers to obtain medical marijuana. The bill would establish criminal penalties for the unlawful sale and use of medical marijuana and the falsification of identification cards.